Dual strip feeding mechanism



Jan. 5, 1960 J. T. DAVIDSON ETAL 2,919,934

' 1 I DUAL STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM Filed April 9, 1954 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JOHN T. DAVIDSON y CHARLES F. HOWARD ATTORNEY J. T. DAVIDSON ET AL 2,919,934

DUAL STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM Jan. 5, 1960 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 9. 1954 I INVENTOR JOHN T DAVIDSON CHARLES F. HOWARD ATTORNEY F L (F QN wznm mm wnw United States Patent DUAL STRIP FEEDING MECHANISM John T. Davidson and Charles F. Howard, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to The Standard Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 9, 1954, Seriai No. 422,194

2 Claims. (Cl. 282-16) This invention relates to autographic registers, and particularly to improved strip feeding and separating arrangements therein.

Devices of the kind described present a writing table and successive operations of the register bring successive record forms to writing position and eject the immediately preceding inscribed form, the several forms being interconnected in a strip and a plurality of strips being superposed on one another for the making of multiple copies. One or more of the underlying strips usually is fed off of the writing table and into a storage compartment, thus becoming the locked-in copy or copies. The remaining strips are issued from the machine and the successively issued sets of forms usually are torn off against a strip hold-down bar on the end of the writing table. It is desirable at time intervals to tear off or detach the locked-in copy also but this has in the past involved a problem of access. Thus it has not been possible to detach the locked-in copy at the hold-down bar but only at a point well into the storage compartment. This has meant that one or two blank forms must be issued to obtain the last inscribed form. This is, of course, wasteful and moreover interrupts the consecutive order of inscribed forms, the forms being usually serially numbered.

The object of the invention is to simplify the construction as well as the means and mode of operation of autographic registers whereby such devices may not only be economically manufactured, but will be more efficient and satisfactory in use, of longer life, uniform in action and be unlikely to get out of repair. 7

It is a further object of this invention to improve the means of access to the locked-in copy to the end that the last inscribed form may be obtained without the necessity of issuing blank forms, it being contemplated in this connection that both the issuing and locked-in copies may be torn off along the hold-down bar, leaving the next succeeding form in writing position on the writing table.

Another object of the invention is to obviate the use of lead sheets in the inserting of new strip assemblies in the register.

' A further object of the invention is to introduce a principle of dual feed in an autographic register wherein superposed record strips or sets of strips may be advanced respectively different distances in the same operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide an autographic register possessing the advantageous structural features, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein set forth.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein is ice shown one but obviously not the only embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an autographic register in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention, partly broken away to show pertinent details of its construction;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section, taken substantially along the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in longitudinal section taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view like Fig. 3, showing certain parts in alternate positions of adjustment; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the gear drive of Fig. 1, showing an alternate position of adjustment thereof.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of refererence throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, an autographic register in accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the invention comprises a cabinet including a base plate 10, end walls 11 and 12 and side walls 13. The interior of the register is divided, as by a partition member '14 into a supply compartment 15 and a storage compartment 16.

The top of the register is closed by a lid 17, hinged as at 18 to the end wall 11 so that it may be raised for access to the interior of the register. The lid 17 has an opening 19 therein, a part of which may be considered to be the Writing area as indicated by a diagrammatic representation 21.

Within the register and beneath the lid 17 is a writing table 22. In superposed relation on the writing table 22 are record strips 23 and 24. While the record material is here indicated as comprising single strips, it will be understood that the lines 23 and 24- of Fig. 3 are intended to represent dual sets of record strips, each made up of one or more strips of interconnected record forms interleaved in some instances by carbon strips.

The strip or set of strips 23 is drawn from a place of storage outside the register through a sub-compartment 25 at one end of the register and over rollers 26 on to the table 22. The strip or set of strips 24 is drawn from a folded pack 27 in the supply compartment 15 and gains access to the table 22 over a portion 28 depressed from the plane of the writing table. The strips 23 and 24 achieve an intimate superposed relation immediately in advance of the writing area 21 and retain such relation as they are passed through the writing area, following which they may be separated with the strip 23 issuing from the machine and the strip 24 being directed, by means including a deflector 29, to the storage compartment '16 where it is refolded to form a pack 31 and thus become the locked-in record copy.

The base plate 10 supports auxiliary side plates 32 and 33 spaced inwardly from the frame walls 13. A pair of longitudinally spaced apart shafts 34 and 35 are journaled between the side plates 32 and 33 and have respective pin feeding devices 36 and 37 mounted thereon, the feeding devices being of a known kind having radially projecting pins which progressively engage successive marginal perforations 38 in the record strips.

The shaft 34 lies in a plane slightly lower than the plane of the shaft 35 and is in underlying relation to the depressed portion 28 of the writing table 22. The feeding devices 36 on the shaft 34 are, however, spaced inwardly from the corresponding feeding devices 37 on the shaft 35. The pins on the feeding devices 36 project through openings in the depressed portion 28 and engage the perforations in the strip 24, thus advancing the strip by a pushing motion, relatively to the writing area 21. The pins on the feeding devices 37 similarly project through openings in the writing table 22 and engage the marginal perforations in the strip 23, it being understood in this connection that the strip 23 is formed.

with relatively broad margins so as to place the perforations therein out of line with the feeding devices 36. The feeding devices 37 further are located substantially beneath the writing area 21 and function to pull or draw the strip 23 through the writing area.

Beyond the writing area 21 is a hold-dovm assembly including a pair of arms 39 secured to a cross rod 41 and interconnected by a bar 42 in overlying relation to the table 22 and the superposed record strips thereon. A spring tensions the hold-down assembly in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, whereby the bar 42 tends normally frictionally to engage the record strips on the writing table in a manner to prevent slipping or other incidental movements of the record strips while a record form is presented at the writing area 21 for inscription. The hold-down assembly is controlled by a cam 43 on a main drive shaft 44 supported between the side plates 32 and 33. The cam 43 is formed with a single recess 45 in its periphery. A roller as on an arm 47 rides the periphery of cam 43, the arm 47 being secured to the aforementioned cross rod 41. The construction and arrangement of parts, it may be seen, is such that while the roller 46 is in the recess 45 the spring 40 is effective to pressure the bar 42 to engage the table 22. Immediately that the cam 43 begins to rotate, however, the roller 46 rides up out of the recess 45 and raises the hold-down bar 42, releasing the record strip for advancement along the table 22.

A pair of guide fingers 48 are attached to the holddown bar 42 and extend in embracing relation to the projecting pins on the feeding devices 37 to hold the record material in cooperative engagement with the feeding pins. A similar set of guide fingers 49 cooperate with the record strip 24, holding it down upon the depressed portion 28 in cooperative relation with the feeding pins on the devices 36.

Separation of the record strip 23 from the record strip 24, as both leave the writing area 21, is effected by a deflector element 51, one end of which is received between the strip 23 and the strip 24 beneath the holddown bar 42. The opposite end of the deflector element 51 is removably received in forward notches 52 in a pair of bracket members 53 carried at the extremity of the writing table 22. Springs 54 (Fig. 4) hold the said opposite or base end of the deflector element positioned in the notches 52.

Projecting or issued portions of the strip 23 are detached from the strip portion by tearing the projecting portion along the rear edge of the hold-down bar 4-2. Further, and in accordance with the instant invention, the underlying strip 24 also is detachable by tearing along the holddown bar 42. In this connection, provision is made for removing the deflector element 51 from its position illustrated so that access may be had to the strip 24 at a point adjacent to the hold-down bar. The arms 39 of the hold-down assembly are formed with a shoulder 55 engageable in a manually elevated position of the hold-down bar by a latch 56. When the holddown bar has been raised and latched and is so no longer bearing upon the deflector element 51, such element may be lifted out of its seat in the notches 52 and moved to another position of adjustment wherein the base end thereof is seated in rearward notches 57 in the brackets 53. So positioned, the deflector element is in effect withdrawn from operating position and may be further rocked in a counterclockwise direction (as viewed in Fig. 3) substantially to an upright position. The operator may then conveniently reach into the register, and, grasping the strip 24 adjacent to the holddown bar 42, tear the strip along such bar.

A single operation of the register usually is effective to issue one set of record forms in the strip from writing position and to bring the next succeeding forms into writing position. The issued forms of the overlying strip or strips 23 usually is torn off immediately. The forms of the lower strip or strips 24 usually are permitted to remain intact in web form, being fed into the refold or storage compartment 16. At predetermined time intervals, however, for example at the end of a days transactions, it is desirable to remove the locked-in strip or web as a unit andit is of course desirable in this connection to obtain the last inscribed form. To remove the locked-in copy, the operator raises the hold-down bar 42 and latches it in raised position by use of the latch member 56. The deflector element 51 then is withdrawn as described and repositioned in the notches 57. The latch 56 then is released, allowing the hold-down bar to return to its original position clamping the record strip material against the writing table. The operator then may detach the locked-in copy by tearing against the bar 42, in the manner above described, and it will be noted that since the strip is torn along the hold-down bar, it includes the last inscribed form. When this has been done the raising and lowering of the hold-down bar 42 is repeated and the deflector element 51 restored to its normal position under the hold-down bar for continued operation of the register.

The illustrated machine is power operated, an electric motor 5d being energizable by depressing a push button 59 to rotate the shafts 34? and 35 on which are the feeding devices 36 and 37. The transmission means between the electric motor 58 and the shafts 34 and 35 may provide for differential operation of the feeding devices. In the present instance the motor shaft has a bevel gear 61 meshing with and driving a similar gear 62 on the aforementioned shaft 4-4. The shaft 44 has a gear 63 thereon meshing with a gear 64 and another gear 65, rotatably mounted on respective studs set in the side plate 33. The gear 64- meshes with a gear 66 on the shaft 34. The gear '65 meshes with a gear 67 on the shaft 35. As seen particularly in Fig. l, the gear 64 is a part of a unitary assembly further including a smaller gear 68. Further, the gear 66 is a part of a unitary assembly including a larger gear 69, a sleeve 71 through which the gears 66 and 69 are interconnected, and a set screw 72 by which the sleeve 71 may be releasably locked to the shaft 34 in selected positions of longitudinal adjustment, the sleeve 71 being keyed to the shaft 34 for unison rotation therewith. in the illustrated instance, the sleeve 71 has three positions of operating adjustment. One of these is shown in Fig. 1, the other in Fig. 5 and the third with the sleeve 71 adjusted all the way inward along the shaft 34- to a position of abutment with the plate 33. In the first described position, the gear 63 on shaft 44 drives the shaft 34 through gear 64 and gear 66. The gear 66 is the same size as the gear 67. Accordingly, the shafts 34 and 35' are in this position of the parts rotated at substantially the same speed. Thus, for each operation of the motor 58, the record strips 23 and 24 are advanced substantially like distances. In the position of adjustment shown in Fig. 5 the gears 64 and 66 are disengaged while the gears 68 and 69 are engaged with one another. The is large in relation to the gear 67. Hence the shaft makes fewer rotations than the shaft 35 during each cycle of motor operation, a ratio being established, for example, on the order of 4 /2 to 1. Thus, each time the motor 5-8 is operated, in this position of the parts, the upper record strip 23 is advanced approximately 4 /2 inches while the under strip 24 is advanced only one inch. The underlying strip in such an operation as this probably would serve as a tally or summary strip on which only the inscribed information, or portions thereof, would appear.

in the third described position of adjustment of the sleeve 71, both gears '69 and 66 would be out of engage ment with their respective gears 63 and 64. In this position of the parts, therefore, the underlying strip 2 would remain stationary since the shaft 34 would be disconnected from the driving mechanism.

It will be understood that the cam 43 is mounted on the drive shaft 44 so that the recess 45 therein will receive the roller 46 when the motor is idle, this position of the parts being termed a home position. At the start of each motor operation the roller 46 rides out of the recess 45 raising the bar 42 which is so held until the parts return to the starting or home position.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into efiect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an autographic register, a relatively stationary frame, a Writing table on said frame, superposed record strips being advanced over said table, a hold-down bar pressing said strips upon said table, said bar being adjustably mounted for movement to a position of release, a deflector element received between said hold-down bar and certain of the underlying record strips, and a mounting for said deflector element providing for bodily withdrawal thereof from between said bar and said record strips whereby certain underlying strips may be torn along said bar, said bar being moved to and from said position of release in connection with the adjustment of said defiector element, and a latch for holding said bar in said 6 position of release while said deflector element is being withdrawn.

2. An autographic register including a storage compartment, a writing table over which superposed record strips made up of interconnected record forms are passed, and a deflector element having one end in longitudinally spaced relation to one edge of said table and an opposing end resting on said one edge of the table, said element directing certain of the superposed record strips downwardly in advance of said one edge of the table into said storage compartment, and mounting means for said deflector element providing longitudinally spaced positions for said one end of the element, movement of said element to one of said positions providing a space in advance of said writing table for access to said certain strips for a tearing of said certain strips along a line adjacent to said one edge of the table, said mounting means for said deflector element comprising plate means having longitudinally spaced notches selectively receiving said one end of said element and spring means yieldingly retaining said deflector element co-operatively engaged in selected notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Great Britain June 6, 1940 

